How to Send Your Own Garments for Embroidery
Custom Uniforms team · · 4 min read
To send garments for embroidery, count them by type, colour and size, prepare a names sheet if each piece carries a name, mark where each design goes, and pack everything with a copy of your list inside. Then courier the parcel or drop it off, and check the returned order against the same list. A little care at the packing stage makes the whole job faster and avoids mix-ups.
Before you send garments for embroidery
Before any garments travel, agree the details with the embroidery unit: the logo, thread colours, size and position, the quantity, and any one-time digitising charge. Approve a sample photo first if you can. Sending garments before the design is settled means they sit waiting, and it is easy for details to change in the meantime.
If your logo is not ready yet, our guide on how to prepare your logo for embroidery explains which files work and why.
Step 1: Count the garments
Lay everything out and count it by type, colour and size. Write it as a simple table, for example:
| Garment | Colour | Size | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polo t-shirt | Navy | M | 12 |
| Polo t-shirt | Navy | L | 9 |
| Cap | White | Free size | 20 |
Count twice, ideally with a second person. The list you send is what the embroidery unit checks against on arrival, so it needs to match what is in the parcel. Set aside any garments that are already stained, torn or the wrong colour, so they do not travel by mistake.
Step 2: Prepare the names sheet
If each garment carries a different name, title or department, send a spreadsheet with one row per garment. Useful columns are:
- Name, typed exactly as it should be stitched
- Second line, such as a designation or department
- Garment type and colour
- Size
Sort the sheet by garment type and size, in the same order you will pack. That makes it much easier to match the right name to the right piece. Our post on name embroidery on staff uniforms has more on collecting a clean names list.
Step 3: Mark the placement
Tell us where each design goes on each garment type: left chest, right chest, sleeve, back, cap front or bag front. A written description is the minimum. Better still:
- Send a photo of one garment with the position marked using a removable tailor’s chalk or a sticky note.
- If you have an existing embroidered garment you want to match, send it along as a reference, clearly labelled.
- For bags, say which panel, because many bags have a front pocket that may or may not be the right place.
Do not mark every garment with pen or permanent marker. One clear reference is enough.
Step 4: Pack the garments
Good packing keeps the order organised and protects the garments in transit.
- Fold garments flat and group them by type, colour and size.
- Put each group in a clear plastic bag and label the bag with its contents and count.
- Keep caps in a sturdy box so the peaks are not crushed.
- Place a printed copy of your count and names sheet inside the parcel, on top.
- Write your name, phone number and order reference on the outside of the parcel.
- Keep your own copy of the list, and take a photo of the packed parcel before sealing it.
If you are sending more than one parcel, number them, for example “1 of 3”, and list what each one contains.
Step 5: Courier or drop off in Konni
You can courier the parcel to our unit in Konni, Pathanamthitta, or bring it in yourself. We confirm the address and details when we quote. If you are couriering, share the tracking number with us on WhatsApp so we know to expect it.
If you are near Pathanamthitta, dropping off in person has an advantage: you can go through the count and placement with us on the spot.
When the garments arrive, we check the count against your list and confirm with you before we start stitching. If the count does not match, we tell you then, so it can be sorted out before any embroidery is done.
Step 6: Check the returned order
When the garments come back, by courier or when you collect them, check them against the same list before you hand them on:
- Count. The same number of each type, colour and size that you sent.
- Position. The logo is in the agreed place on each garment type.
- Names. Read each name against the sheet, letter by letter, and check it is on the right size.
- Finish. Backing trimmed neatly on the inside, no loose threads.
Do this soon after the parcel arrives, while the details are fresh, and message us on WhatsApp with photos if anything does not match your list.
How we handle your own garments
Your own garments are welcome. Embroidery is one of our main services, running now at our unit in Konni, Pathanamthitta, Kerala. We embroider logos and names on uniforms, shirts, scrubs, lab coats, polo t-shirts, caps and bags that you supply, and small quantities are accepted. We stitch a sample and send a photo on WhatsApp for approval before the full quantity. The garments are then checked against your list and returned by courier across India, with the charge shown in the quote, or collected from the unit. If you need uniforms made as well, see our school uniforms page.
To arrange your order, read about our embroidery service or contact us.